Compliance

Information for Alumni, Boosters, and Representatives of Athletics Interests

We appreciate all of the support from our Alumni, Boosters and Friends of the University! Our teams cannot be successful without your dedication to UB Athletics.

Let's win the right way...within NCAA rules. If at any time you have questions regarding NCAA rules and how they pertain to you, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Compliance at 716-645-3146 or email us at kc29@buffalo.edu. Click here for the UB anonymous NCAA infraction reporting form.

"My name is Ronald Balter and I have been a booster for UB Athletics since I began donating right after graduation in 1980. As a long time donor and an attorney I know the importance of complying with NCAA rules applying to boosters. As a booster I have received special access to UB Athletics, but I know if I violate an NCAA rule, it could cause problems for UB, an athlete, and possibly me as an attorney. I never want to be the cause of sanctions against UB and lose the access I have to UB Athletics, nor do I want to put my license to practice law at risk. That is why before I do anything on my own that impacts UB Athletics, I always check with UB Athletics Compliance. Ask before you do."

You are considered a booster of UB athletics if you have:

Provided a donation in order to obtain season tickets for any sport at the university.

Participated in or has been a member of an organization promoting the university’s athletics programs.

Made financial contributions to the athletic department or to a university booster organization.

Arranged for or provided employment for enrolled student-athletes.

Assisted or has been requested by university staff to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes.

Assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student athletes or their families.

Been involved otherwise in promoting university athletics.

Do's and Don'ts for Representatives of Athletics Interests

Do's

If desired, provide an occasional family meal for student-athletes. The meal can be in the home of the representative of athletics interests and the meal can be catered. You may also provide transportation for the athletes attending this meal.

Attend games where prospects are competing, as long as no contact is made with the prospect or prospect's parents or high school coach--remember, boosters are not permitted to recruit for UB.

Continue normal contact with prospects with whom you have pre-established relationships, as longs as the contacts are not recruiting related.

If desired, arrange employment for prospective student-athletes, as long as the employment begins after high school graduation, and pay is commensurate with the "going rate". Please touch base with the Compliance Office prior to arranging any employment for prospects OR current athletes.

Accept a phone call from a prospect, as long as the prospect initiates the call. All questions regarding the institution's athletics department should be directed back to the athletics department.

Check with the Office of Compliance at 716-645-3146 before you do anything that may jeopardize a current or prospective student-athlete's eligibility. Better safe than sorry!

Notify the Division of Athletics or coaching staff members about outstanding prospects.

Don'ts

Provide a prospective student athlete, his/her parents, relatives, friends, or coaches with any material benefit. This includes, but is not limited to, free tickets to professional and collegiate athletics events, movie passes, gifts, loans of money, transportation, etc.

Invite a current UB student athlete or their friends/family or a prospective student athletes or their friends of family to sit courtside for UB basketball games, or to sit in your suite at the UB football games.

Make recruiting presentations to groups of prospective student-athletes.

Make in person on or off-campus recruiting contact, telephone calls, or establish written correspondence with prospective student-athletes.

Contact prospective student-athletes via social networking sites, such as twitter or facebook.

Use your personal website or social networking site to blog about, comment about or interview prospective student-athletes.

Entertain or provide awards or gifts for a current student-athlete, or his/her family and friends.

Pay a student-athlete for a speaking engagement.

Use a student-athlete's name, picture, or appearance to promote sales or advertise the use of a commercial product or service.

Pay or offer to pay for registration fees for summer sports camps for a prospect.

Don't provide a currently enrolled student-athlete with complimentary tickets to a professional sporting event, concerts, movies, etc. This applies even if you obtained the tickets free of charge. Providing student-athletes with free tickets to professional sporting and other events is considered an extra benefit.

Due to the increasing popularity of social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter), the University at Buffalo Athletics Compliance Department has created this page as a quick reference for Bulls fans.

Please remember that only coaches and Athletics Department staff members may be involved in the recruiting process.

All boosters are prohibited from contacting prospects or members of a prospect's family by any means for the purpose of encouraging the prospect's participation in the University at Buffalo athletics program. Please know that although you may or may not consider yourself a booster of UB Athletics, by engaging in any of the actions below the NCAA will consider you a booster.

Q: Who is defined as a prospect?
A: Any individual that has begun classes for the ninth grade. This includes any individual who is currently enrolled in and/or attending courses at a junior college or prep school. In Men’s Basketball and Softball, a prospective student-athlete is defined as having begun classes for 7th grade [for camps/clinics].

Q. May I email or post messages on a prospective student-athlete's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or similar website?
A. No, you may not. An athletics representative may not email or post messages on the webpage, twitter page or website of any prospective student-athlete.

Q. May I create an online group dedicated to convincing or encouraging a prospect that we want them to attend UB if the group members do not directly contact the prospect?
A. The NCAA would consider this as recruiting activity by boosters, so this would NOT be permissible.

Q. What if I do not urge a prospect to come to UB, may I contact them just to tell them about all the great things UB has to offer?
A. No. Once again, this is another form of recruiting and only UB coaches are permitted to recruit on behalf of the institution.

Q: Who is defined as a prospect?
A: Any individual that has begun classes for the ninth grade. This includes any individual who is currently enrolled in and/or attending courses at a junior college or prep school.

Please remember that individuals other than UB coaches should not be contacting prospects, directly or indirectly, in any manner or using any form of communication in an effort to persuade them to attend UB.

How may I support UB Athletics without jeopardizing a student-athlete’s continuing eligibility?

You may support UB Athletics by donating to the Blue and White Fund or through gift-in-kind donations to our many sports programs. Examples would be athletic gear, meals, entertainment activities etc. Please contact the UB Compliance Office for more information on how you can help support our Bulls.

If you have questions about this information or about NCAA or Mid American Conference rules, please contact the UB Athletics Compliance Department at (716) 645-7978 or email us at ath-compliance@buffalo.edu. We appreciate your support of UB Athletics and your help in ensuring we operate within NCAA rules and regulations.